Are you the parent of a child diagnosed with autism? Do you think that your child may have autism, but you’re unsure?

Autism Epicenter is here to be your resource, your guide, and your support from the very beginning.

What Exactly is Autism?

Autism is a developmental condition, diagnosed at an early age, which affects your child’s communication, motor skills, social interactions, and behaviors. Every child diagnosed with autism will experience challenges that are unique to them and their development, with a broad scale of severity from mild to profoundly disabling. While some children may be able to develop, grow, and experience life with minimal challenges, other children may require extended specialized support their entire life. You can read more about the History of Autism.

Autism will manifest in your child by the time they are age three, with signs of the development showing as early as six months. Most children will live out the rest of their lives affected by the development of autism. How independent your child will be able to live out their life will depend on how developed their autism becomes and how well your child adapts to certain therapies. The earlier that autism is detected in your child, the the earlier parents can help their child by setting up appointments with specialists, enrolling their child in proper education programs, and getting connected with other families with children with autism.

When raising young children, you want to know that your child is growing and developing as healthy as possible. If you begin to notice that your child may have a disability or a learning disorder, it can be difficult to determine where to go and what to do, especially if you don’t know or understand the diagnosis of your child yet. If your child has not yet been diagnosed with autism and you are unsure if you should consider talking with a professional about a professional diagnosis, Autism Epicenter can provide you and your family with valuable information about What Autism Is to use as a guide.

The Red Flags of Autism?

Many times, parents are unaware that their child has autism because the child has not developed enough to consider that there may be an issue to address. Luckily, specialists have been able to determine the warning signs to watch out for from a young age, as young as six months old, so that you and your family can consider a professional diagnosis and begin to make necessary adjustments. Warning signs to watch out for include:

Be aware if your child lacks smiling or joyful emotions.

While some babies may be quieter than others, no baby babbles could be cause for concern.

Most babies learn gestures fairly early on, like waving. If you child does not gesture, especially when gestured to first, this could be a sign of developmental issues.

If you child has abnormally little to no ability to speak, it could be a sign.

Many children will repeat behaviors, but watch out for obsessively repeated behaviors.

If your child does not make eye contact with anyone, it could be a sign that something needs to be addressed.

If you child has already developed skills, such as communication and motor skills, but begins to lose them, it is a sure sign that something needs to be addressed.

If your child shows and of these signs, it could mean your child has developed autism. The only way to know for sure is to talk with your child’s doctor or a specialist for a professional diagnosis. Only when you know your child’s diagnosis can you and your family begin to make the proper adjustments.

My Child Has Autism, What Next?

Learning that your child has been diagnosed with autism will definitely change the ways you and your family function and how you raise your child. The initial adjustments can be challenging, especially when you just begin to make the changes. What resources are available to you and your family? How will raising a child with autism change the way you and your family raise your children? As a parent to a child with autism, the absolute best thing you can do for your child is to properly educate yourself about autism, recognize all the signs, and understand the developmental milestones your child should be achieving.

Not every child diagnosed with autism will be the same. Some children will be mildly affected be their autism while other children may have greater affects. From the early stages, it may not be determined how affected you child may be. As a parent, the best thing you can do is get to learn you child’s strengths and weaknesses so that you can determine what therapies and education would help your child develop and grow most efficiently. Talk with specialists, teachers, and other parents to children with autism to learn how you can best raise your child. Not every child will adapt to every method, so learn as much as you can and grow with your child.

How Can Autism Epicenter Help?

Our website is dedicated to and written by parents of children with autism. As parents with children with autism, we understand the challenges that you and your child need to overcome, we understand the joys of raising a child with autism, and we understand the hardships that home life and public life can impose.

For families whose child has recently been diagnosed with autism, Autism Epicenter is available as a guide and a support system. At Autism Epicenter, we offer resources to help you and your family:

Many parents may not be prepared to raise a child with autism, which is why Autism Epicenter has been created. We are here to offer you and your family advice, stories, and information to help you through this journey. Initially, there will be an adjustment period for you and your family as you learn your child’s different behaviors, how to efficiently communicate with your child, and how to teach your child various social skills. We are here to offer knowledge and support, as you and your family learn and grow together.

We look forward to guiding you and supporting you and your family on this journey.